Tag Archives: Illegal Immigration

By: the Common Constitutionalist

There are things about Donald Trump’s immigration platform I like, and are doable, and things that are kind of absurd and unconstitutional – not to mention progressive.

Building the Trump Wall across the southern border with a few large doors is a good idea. I think most reasonable conservatives would agree. However, making Mexico pay for it is both ridiculous and unrealistic. I suppose he could try, but mostly I think it’s just populist bombast that sells good to the public. I guess is supposed to show how tough he is.

But tariffs, remittance payments and trade restrictions will not nor should they pay for the wall. We can blame Mexico and Central American countries, but we did this to ourselves, so we should pay for it.

What many Republicans are really supporting – what supporters are jazzed about is not just the wall but his idea to deport all illegal invaders. That, and end all sanctuary cities. And on this point, the left, the moderates, and the Chamber of Commerce wing of the Republican Party are spastic.

Ross Kaminsky at the American Spectator echoes the establishment voice quite nicely as he writes: “Mr. Trump wants to remove all illegal aliens from the United States. This is, of course, impossible and, even if it were possible, an outrageous waste of tens or hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. When asked by Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press if he should split up families in which one or more of the parents is an illegal alien but their children are US citizens, Trump said no, clarifying in one of the most reprehensible statements I have heard from an American candidate for public office. ‘We’re going to keep the families together, but they have to go.’”

While I agree that you can’t just deny the existence of the 14th amendment and deport citizens, I would have preferred that The Donald follow-up his infamous “they have to go” statement with the citizen has a choice. As a citizen, he or she (assuming they are not transgendering) may stay in this country or feel free to leave with your illegal family. It’s your choice. Sure, it’s not their fault that their parents, or whomever is here illegally, but it’s not ours either. Yet both the left and establishment right say, as did Kaminsky, that even the suggestion is immoral. read more

By: the Common Constitutionalist

A few weeks ago a gentleman came to my office. He asked us if we would be willing to spare some warehouse space in our building. See, this Christian charity has to expand its food bank capabilities. Being that we have some empty warehouse space, we agreed to allow him to use it.

Then, by sheer coincidence, I see this from the AP . “Food banks struggle to meet surprising demand. Food banks across the country are seeing a rising demand for free groceries despite the growing economy, leading some charities to reduce the amount of food they offer each family.”

Did I read that right? “Despite the growing economy” – really? They had to add that, didn’t they? If the economy is growing, why then is there such an explosive need for food that, “U.S. food banks are expected to give away about 4 billion pounds of food this year, more than double the amount provided a decade ago, according to Feeding America, the nation’s primary food bank network.”

The fact is that since the collapse of the “Bush” economy in 2008, some 7 1/2 years ago, there has been a steady increase, every year, in the demand for food bank items. There’s your growing economy.

The largest food pantry in Albuquerque New Mexico has seen a 15% increase in demand this year and one in Gloucester Massachusetts, “has given away 7.6% more food this summer than last.” read more

By: the Common Constitutionalist

There are things about Donald Trump’s immigration platform I like, and are doable, and things that are kind of absurd and unconstitutional – not to mention progressive.

Building the Trump Wall across the southern border with a few large doors is a good idea. I think most reasonable conservatives would agree. However, making Mexico pay for it is both ridiculous and unrealistic. I suppose he could try, but mostly I think it’s just populist bombast that sells good to the public. I guess is supposed to show how tough he is.

But tariffs, remittance payments and trade restrictions will not nor should they pay for the wall. We can blame Mexico and Central American countries, but we did this to ourselves, so we should pay for it.

What many Republicans are really supporting – what supporters are jazzed about is not just the wall but his idea to deport all illegal invaders. That, and end all sanctuary cities. And on this point, the left, the moderates, and the Chamber of Commerce wing of the Republican Party are spastic.

Ross Kaminsky at the American Spectator echoes the establishment voice quite nicely as he writes: “Mr. Trump wants to remove all illegal aliens from the United States. This is, of course, impossible and, even if it were possible, an outrageous waste of tens or hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. When asked by Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press if he should split up families in which one or more of the parents is an illegal alien but their children are US citizens, Trump said no, clarifying in one of the most reprehensible statements I have heard from an American candidate for public office. ‘We’re going to keep the families together, but they have to go.’”

While I agree that you can’t just deny the existence of the 14th amendment and deport citizens, I would have preferred that The Donald follow-up his infamous “they have to go” statement with the citizen has a choice. As a citizen, he or she (assuming they are not transgendering) may stay in this country or feel free to leave with your illegal family. It’s your choice. Sure, it’s not their fault that their parents, or whomever is here illegally, but it’s not ours either. Yet both the left and establishment right say, as did Kaminsky, that even the suggestion is immoral. read more

by: the Common Constitutionalist

The left has taken a break from asking the Republican presidential candidates about Donald Trump. I know Trump is front and center in every news cycle, but enough is enough. It’s like: “We’re now at the scene of the accident that just killed Rick Perry’s entire family (not really – it’s just a demonstration). Gov. Perry appears speechless. Let’s see if we can get a word from the grief stricken man. “Governor. Excuse me – Governor. I know you must be in a lot of pain, but how do you think Donald Trump will react to the news of the sudden death of your entire family?” It really has gotten that ridiculous.

Now that there are no new Trump headlines, the left has gone back to their usual methods of harassing the candidates, as demonstrated at a Scott Walker campaign stop in Plainfield Iowa, where Walker grew up.

Many residents showed up to happily greet the hometown hero, but not everyone in attendance was so supportive. The Flores family, a family of illegal Mexican immigrants waited by Walker’s campaign bus to ensnare talk to the candidate.

This was not just a family who happened by. No – that is not how the radical left works. They were driven to the event by an illegal immigration activist rabble-rouser. read more

by: the Common Constitutionalist

So what are we to make of the Cruz/Trump meeting this past Wednesday? Many have reported on it but both candidates are fairly mum. Prior to the meeting Trump said: “I don’t know why I’m meeting with him, to be honest, but I do have respect for him.”

Some would say that the comment is a bit a they swipe at Cruz, but I believe it’s just Trump being Trump. I think he likes being the maverick by portraying his candidacy as him against the entire Republican Party. And for the most part, at least thus far, he’s been pretty successful. Not that he necessarily has a strategy, but if this is it, it’s working.

I also think he may have been a bit taken aback by Cruz’s support of his illegal immigration “straight talk.” I’m guessing he expected the entire field to run away from his stance, if he thought about it at all.

But then Ted Cruz stepped up to defend him. So now it appears they are unlikely allies, at least on this one issue. And as far as The Donald saying what he said about the meeting with Cruz – I don’t buy it.

Sure, Cruz can definitely use an ally like Trump at this point, and he’s certainly intelligent enough not to go all in with Trump. But The Donald will need Cruz also. He can possibly be Trump’s voice of reason if and when he starts going off the rails – especially in the debates. read more

by: the Common Constitutionalist

Regarding same-sex marriage, the Knoxville Sun Sentinel wrote: “In a historic decision, a sharply divided US Supreme Court on Friday extended the right to marry gays and lesbians. The 5-4 decision immediately wiped out Tennessee’s constitutional definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. All states now must license and recognize same-sex marriages. Gov. Bill Haslam and state Atty. Gen. Herbert Slatery, though expressing dismay at the outcome, pledge to abide by the decision.”

Many states have said something similar. “Once the Supreme Court has ruled, it’s order is the law of the land,’ Georgia Atty. Gen. Sam Olens wrote. As such, Georgia will follow the law and adhere to the ruling of the court.” And Arkansas Atty. Gen. Leslie Rutledge wrote that, “I am disappointed that the justices have chosen to ignore the role of the states to define marriage. The justices have issued a decision, and that decision must be followed.”

So it appears most of the remaining holdout states are falling in line. But one isn’t, and that one is Texas. “A judge-based edict that is not based in the law,” is how Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton described the Supreme Court ruling. read more

by: the Common Constitutionalist

I really want to like Donald Trump. I really wish I could support The Donald, but if you’ve read anything I’ve written about him you’ll understand I just can’t – but I want to.

Right now he is saying what every conservative is thinking. We on the right have been craving a candidate who will take it to the left – no backing down – no compromise. And Trump is filling the bill – like Newt Gingrich on steroids.

Many would say – yeah well – it’s all an act. He knows his audience and he’s playing right to them – telling them what they want to hear. While I agree that he is a showman and he is playing to the audience, this is no act.

What we see is who he is. He’s rich and he’s powerful and he relishes any opportunity to say so. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s about time we heard from someone who is not ashamed of their wealth, especially because he earned it.

The fact is I do on some level, really enjoy Trump. I’ve heard he is a nice guy, but he’s also an arrogant loud mouth. Yet you can’t help but smile when he’s verbally beating down the left. We can’t help but react with a, “Yeah – go get um!” And really, there’s nothing wrong with that, to a point. read more

by: the Common Constitutionalist

Around this time last year members of Congress from both parties began pushing the ENLIST Act. Heritage wrote at the time that the act “would give illegal immigrants near instant citizenship if they volunteer for military service.”

ENLIST stands for “Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training.” I’ve heard some lame acronyms, but that’s a whopper. I wonder who was charged with crafting the name and what he or she was told it must invoke. Maybe it went something like: “We want to find a backdoor amnesty program and thought we could use (or abuse) the military, but we have to lie about what our true intentions are. So we need you to come up with a clever, yet patriotic acronym.” Something like that.

As Heritage writes: “it provides virtually instant backdoor citizenship. The proposed ENLIST Act encourages more illegal immigration, flouts the rule of law, and has the potential to harm national security. Thus, if the ENLIST Act were passed in its current form, illegal immigrants who signed up for military service would obtain LPR [Lawful Permanent Resident] status immediately and, after one day of service during conflict, could apply for expedited citizenship. That process takes only a matter of months.”

In other words, one could be illegal today, and be a citizen by Christmas. Ridiculous! read more

On today’s episode I discuss Iran and the Taliban effectively joining forces as Iran sponsors their resurgence. Texas Governor Greg Abbott decides to deal with his states illegal immigrant situation and attempts to control his own border, since the feds won’t & Hey – what do you know – salt may help you lose weight. It helped laboratory mice! read more

In this episode I discuss Jeb Bush’s interview with Megyn Kelly on illegal immigration and his all too predictable stance. Is America started to become like Nazi Germany. The similarities are striking, and a California youngster graduates college with no less than three degrees at the age of 11.read more